Sony pulled the curtain back from a gaggle of digital cameras today. The big feature is the new face-detection tech: Which they claim automatically focuses in on up to eight (count’em: EIGHT) faces. Plus, if they move or you move, the focus follows (which is good, because getting eight people to stand still ain’t easy, as anybody in a ska band can tell you.)

Also of note: All these cams come with outputs for viewing your multi-megapixel pics in high-def on your (surely Bravia) HDTV.

Click the jump to see full details and pics on these new pic-takers.
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Sony made the BDP-S300 official today. Which, for about $600, makes it the cheapest non-PS3 way to watch Little Man in high-def. It also upscales your regular-ol’ DVDs to 1080p, features component video output to 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i, and pumps out 8 channels of uncompressed audio. It’ll hit in the Summer, and won’t make a lick of sense as a purchase, since PS3s will probably be cheaper and easier to find by then.

Product Page [via Mobility Today]

Sony showed off a bunch of new TVs today. The big feature is the across-the-board inclusion of Bravia Internet Video Link–which lets you tune into all those Web-bound videos of people getting hit in the head that crave so much. And, as I said before, the name Bravia is no longer just for LCDs–micro-displays and front-projectors now get to share the honor.

Click the jump for the some just-the-facts-ma’am details on the new line, and some nice TV porn.
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I’m reporting live here from the Paris Hotel in beautiful Las Vegas, where Sony is showing off to dealers and the media a crapload of new announcements. It’s sort of like CES 1983 here — all Sony, all the time.

Our Tokyo friends announced and showed off a whopping 33 new products today–in virtually every category. Over the course of the next couple of posts, I’m going to be showing you guys some highlights.

Will anything here change your life? Nah. It really is another case of evolutionary updates. But it’s Sony, and no matter what detractors say, they speak with a loud enough voice that they’re usually worth listening to.

For now, click the jump to see some highlights and future-facts from Sony’s just-ended press conference…
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Product Page [via Gizmo Insight]

Product Page [via Red Ferret]

Humor is subjective. One man’s comic genius is another man’s lame a-hole. But even the most hardcore fan of Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling might be hard pressed to find the laughter in the new line of products from Excalibur Electronic. These talking devices are the sorts of thing only a product whore like Krusty the Klown might produce.

We’re talking items like Jackie’s Talking Comedy Calculator ($29.95), so you can roll on the floor and laugh while you do some number crunching. But wait, there is more. Order today and you can get Jackie’s GrossMaster ($19.95), which offers all of the former Howard Stern sidekick’s G-rated jokes and songs, or introduce your kids to Jackie’s Mini JokeMaster Jr. ($9.95) or Jackie’s JokeMaster Jr. ($24.95), which are both loaded with jokes for kids ages 6 to 12 (the only age group that might actually enjoy these products). There is even Jackie’s Talking Insult Mirror for $20, which will tell your guests things such as “you’re ugly enough for twins!” I’m not sure when exactly the laugher died… but products like these convince me it is dead and buried!

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Etymotic Research announced today that it would be launching a new division called E.D.G.E. Acoustics. The goal of the new division is to produce enhanced definition gaming earphones.

The E.D.G.E. line is said to represent the pinnacle in gaming earphones by applying sound isolation and audio accuracy to harness various audio components heard in games. The product line will be launched at the Game Developers’ Conference next week. I’ll be there and will be sure to check these out.

In my experience though, open-air earphones are the best for gaming. The vast majority of pro gamers use open Sennheisers. Oh well, I’m intrigued nonetheless.

E.D.G.E. Acoustics

Jesus appears atop mobile phone mast [The Register]

Bluetooth Headset H4 [Sagem Online]

Facing tough competition from MVNOs like Amp’d Mobile and Helio, both of which offer unlimited calling/data plans, Sprint will be testing out unlimited access plans in the San Francisco Bay area. One plan will offer unlimited voice calling, messaging, and phone-based Web browsing for $120 a month, while another plan will consist of the aforementioned plus unlimited PC data access for $150 a month.

Not bad Sprint, not bad. I really like what I’m hearing. Currently the plan is only in a trial phase but hopefully that’ll change when Sprint realizes people would love an unlimited plan for a reasonable price.

Sprint Faces Off Against Hip MVNOs [Phone Scoop]

Watch out iPhone! It looks like you’re not the only device in town running widgets. In this video, we see Windows Vista gadgets running on a Windows Mobile based phone thanks to Windows Mobile Developer Mel Sampat. Pretty sweet, though I don’t really see this becoming available to anyone other than Mel anytime soon. Also, who cares? Most of the things widgets do are available for Windows Mobile anyway (clock, calendar, Blake’s mom, etc.)

Just a heads up, it looks like the flash-based video player doesn’t work anymore. Hit the WMV links on the site to peep the video.

Vista Gadgets running on Windows Mobile [On10 via Mobility Today ]

T-Mobile Bans Others’ Apps On Their Phones [Slashdot]

Can someone give this guy a hand for craftsmanship? Not only did a Japanese guy take the time to recreate a Nintendo Famicom (aka NES) out of wood, but he turned it into a guitar, complete with a gamepad headstock. Some of the tiny details include a cartridge right behind the bridge, real, wood buttons on the headstock, and a second controller below the high E string.

I’d love to kick out the jams on this thing for sure. Though I’m a bit curious as to how the tone sounds.

Nintendo Family Computer guitar [Boing Boing]

Motorola’s StarTAC III [Moto's Korean Site, via Unwired View]

*Bonus points if your first thought was a “Search for Spock” joke.

Image courtesy of Gizmodo

With Apple TV almost out, Sony knew it needed a competitor that was overpriced and flawed – just like plenty of other Sony products. Sony’s Internet Video Link aims to be just that, costing $300 and basically possessing the streaming media functions from a PS3. As far as content goes, there’s partnerships with AOL, Group, Yahoo!, and others. Sony Pictures will also be offering Spiderman 2 in HD, a move that screams “Like us!”

Oh, and the device only works with a few Bravia TVs. Enjoy. Not. Hit the jump for a shot of the interface.

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Are you lame? Do you always like to be one step behind the pack? An underachiever? Then we’ve got some TVs designed with you in mind. Sony has announced some thin, rear projection HDTVs that are supposed to be 22% smaller than your standard rear projection set. Lined up is the 50-inch KDF-50E3000, the 46-inch KDF-46E3000, and the 37-inch 37H1000.

The first two drop in July, with the latter coming out in May for $1300. Why you wouldn’t just shell out the cash for a 42-inch LCD is beyond me, but to each his own.

Sony Adds Three Skinny Rear-Screen Projection TVs to Bravia Line [The Giz]